Avalanche 4, Blues 3

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) - Brandon Yip scored twice and Kevin Shattenkirk broke a third-period tie on a power play, helping the Colorado Avalanche snap a two-game skid with a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.

Ryan Stoa scored what appeared at the time to be an insurance goal but ended up as the game-winner and Peter Budaj stopped 21 shots as the Avs beat St. Louis for a sixth straight time.

Jay McClement, Eric Brewer and David Backes scored for the Blues, who have lost three straight.

Shattenkirk gave the Avs the lead at 10:34 of the final period when he sent a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Jaroslav Halak. The Avs were on the power play after Brad Boyes was called for a double-minor when his stick caught Yip in the face and drew blood.

Stoa sealed the win when his shot 44 seconds later trickled through the legs of Halak, a goal that was at first waved off after defenseman Tyson Strachan appeared to clear the puck before it completely crossed the line.

After a quick review, the referee signaled to center ice, revving up the crowd.

Down two goals late in the game, the Blues scored with 1:27 remaining when Backes knocked in a rebound as Halak was pulled for an extra skater.

St. Louis kept up the pressure over the final 30 seconds, but couldn't tie the game.

The Avalanche switched things around in an attempt to shake out of their slide, inserting Yip into the lineup Monday and sitting down Kevin Porter.

The swap paid off as Yip turned in the fourth multi-goal game of his career.

Yip had been scratched from three of the last four games before Monday. He scored his first goal since Dec. 13 on a shot in the second period that went through the legs of Jaroslav Halak, who appeared to be screened on the play.

McClement then clanged in a wrist shot off the top bar for his sixth goal of the season. The referee reviewed the play, just to see if the puck indeed went in, before awarding the goal.

Moments later, Brewer knocked in a shot off a no-look pass from Boyes to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.

The Avs tied it up just before the end of the second period when Yip skated around the goal and stuffed in a shot between the post and Halak's right pad during a power play.

The first period featured an entertaining fight between David Koci and Cam Janssen, a bout that lasted more than two minutes with each enforcer landing a flurry of punches.

Both teams had a power-play opportunity in the opening 20 minutes, but couldn't convert.

Former NHL MVP Peter Forsberg has joined the Avalanche at practice with an eye toward a possible return. The 37-year-old Forsberg's biggest obstacle remains a bothersome right foot that's hampered him over the latter part of his career.

After going through the grueling workout Sunday - one that included plenty of skating in the wake of the team's recent woes - Forsberg was left quite exhausted, but announced that his foot was feeling fine.

The Swedish sensation made an instant impression on the Avalanche, many of whom gushed about his performance. Forsberg won two Stanley Cup titles and the league's MVP in 2003 while with Colorado.

NOTES: The Blues recalled F Stefan Della Rovere and D Nikita Nikitin on Sunday from Peoria of the American Hockey League. ... St. Louis D Barret Jackman missed the game with a lower-body injury. ... Boyes finished with three assists.